Giant Smokehouse Creek Fire Becomes Largest in Texas History. The burned area exceeds 435,000 hectares and the flames have forced the evacuation of a dozen towns.
The affected area is larger than that of the State of Rhode Island. The incident has surpassed in extent the largest recorded in Texas, the East Amarillo incident in March 2006, which burned 907,000 acres and left 13 dead. Authorities warn that it has not yet been possible to assess all the damage and there remains the possibility of additional victims.